


Rescue

by TheIronDragon10



Category: Designated Survivor (TV)
Genre: 'Rescue' by Hunter Hayes, And I am seriously in my emotions about the pie of shit they gave Emily, And you won't catch me apologizing for it, Emily Rhodes needs a hug, F/F, I am in my emotions about Kendra not being in season 3, I have 0 regrets about writing this, If you squint really hard you can see where I got the inspo, Look I'm just soft for two badass women who rely on eachother, Very loosely based on a Hunter Hayes song, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:27:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24922315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIronDragon10/pseuds/TheIronDragon10
Summary: Keeping the administration afloat needs a village, but Emily Rhodes only needs one person.--Post Season 3 ending. Emily Rhodes finds her safe place after leaving the Kirkman election party.
Relationships: Emily Rhodes & Kendra Daynes, Emily Rhodes/Kendra Daynes, Emily Rhodes/Seth Wright (mentioned), Kendra Daynes/Trey Kirkman (mentioned)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Rescue

**Author's Note:**

> I really couldn't believe that NO ONE wrote a single fic on this pairing. I just finished rewatching the show, so here I am. With the only fic for two of the most badass women in this show. I am not sorry.

“I’m coming, I’m coming”

Kendra rubbed her eyes with one hand while she stumbled towards the door. The incessant knocking had managed to wake her up from the deep sleep she had fallen into. The white house legal office waited for no man, and after the hectic lead up to the elections she was owed so many hours of sleep. 

As she turned the knob on her front door, she realized maybe it would be a great idea to grab a heavy object in her hand, just in case. She had enough breaking and entering incidents to last her a life-time. 

“Who is it?” 

“it's me”

The lawyer swung open the door, quickly dropping the candle she had reached for when Emily Rhodes, red eyed and weeping, came into view.

“Em, what… I thought you’d be with the president”

Emily flinched at the mention of Tom Kirkman. The last thing she needed to think about today was the president. It was enough that she had been called a monster by his unscrupulous campaign manager. He was looking at months of inquiries and his presidency being discredited. His agenda would probably be frozen by congress and his legacy would be lost. But it didn’t matter right now. She had done the right thing. So why did she feel so bad?

“Hey, Em” Kendra whispered, her hands reaching out to lay on Emily’s shoulder.

“Kendra, I...I am sorry, I just…”

Emily quickly lost what little grip she had on her feelings. Kendra pulled her into the house, making sure to lock the door behind her. Emily crumbled into her arms, sobs making her body shake uncontrollably. 

“come here” Kendra murmured, trying her best to keep Emily from feeling more overwhelmed than she already was. The sight of Emily sobbing was heart-wrenching, no matter how many times she'd seen it.

Emily let herself be guided towards the couch where Kendra had just been sleeping, a half finished glass of wine on the coffee table and a mountain of throw pillows on the floor waited there for them, and through the fog of her tears she could muster a small laugh—the more things changed the more they stayed the same. Emily quickly tucked her head under Kendra's chin, just like she used to when they were both in the West Wing and the job would get too much. As chief of staff she would find herself in Kendra’s office in this same position at least three times a week, complaining loudly about this senator or that governor and this super-PAC.

“Shh, it’s okay” Kendra murmured in her ear, knowing full well that everything was probably not okay. “I’m here for you, it’s going to be okay”, with one hand she reached over for the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch to cover Emily's shoulders, and with the other she rubbed circles on Emily’s back, doing her best to soothe her, or at least show her that she wasn’t alone. 

Something told her that this breakdown was the product of weeks of being alone. Emily didn't have much in the way of support recently. 

“I’m sorry I’m such a mess, you probably had plans tonight”

“Yeah, plans to catch up on about 2 years of sleep” Kendra said back, relishing in Emily’s small laugh, “sleep I lost thanks to you and you-know-who scouting me for this job, thank you very much”

“If we hadn't, I wouldn’t be here” Emily whispered back. 

Kendra nodded. Maybe they would’ve bumped along the way, god knows Kirkman had a way of crashing into the Homeland security sub-committee like no other president before him. But then Emily wouldn’t be on her couch, they wouldn’t have shared so many nights bonding over their impossible jobs, they wouldn’t be in each other’s lives in the same way they are now, and there would be something wrong with the universe if that was the case. 

“So, do you have more crocodile tears in you, or do you want to talk now?” Emily dropped her head back on Kendra’s chest, groaning softly, feeling the weight of the last days on her shoulders and a quickly building headache knocking on her temples, “let me get you some water and some painkillers, and you can decide what you want to tell me, hmm?”

Kendra didn’t wait for an answer before rubbing Emily’s arm again and padding away to the kitchen. They’d been through this before. When Emily’s mom got sick for the first time, Kendra had spent an entire night holding her as she cried, and then convincing her that taking some time off would not be the worst (advice Emily chose to ignore). Back when everything with Seth went to hell, Kendra had been the one who let her go on for hours about the impossibility of finding love while working at the white house. Especially when she was the first woman to ever be chief of staff, not to mention the youngest, always underestimated and perpetually overworked. 

Emily had done the same for her when her home was broken into--even though Emily was the one who got hurt. They even had a laugh thinking about the irony of the situation once the stitches and the fear were gone. When Kendra’s fleeting relationship with Trey ran its course, Emily spent the night with her, letting her cuddle up to her while wearing her favorite Georgetown shirt (one that mysteriously disappeared from Emily’s closet shortly after). 

They had each other’s backs in a town where everyone was supposed to be alone. 

“I heard about your mom” Kendra whispered after Emily put down her cup on the table, reaching out to hold Emily’s hands in her own, “I am so sorry for what happened”

“So am I” Emily answered back “but it’s what she wanted”

“That doesn’t make it any less painful” 

Emily managed to muster a smile. Kendra was always her go to for these kinds of things, feelings were never easy for her, but she knew she could let her walls down here–if you could ignore the subtle coercion. Something Kendra did unconsciously, Emily came to find out. 

“Is that why you’re not partying it up? You just made history”

“Right” Emily said incredulously, rolling her eyes at the other woman.

“First  _ elected  _ independent president, who took Texas from the republicans might I add. I thought you would be over the moon about this” Kendra looked up at Emily, reeling back as her eyes filled with tears again, though this time she looked more angry than sad “oo...kay, what did I miss?”

“I” Emily looked back down, evaluating her options, taking a deep breath to get through her thoughts quickly, “I need you to promise that what I am about to tell you doesn’t leave here. I know that the client attorney thing doesn’t work here with the wine and the crying, and you work for the white house, and I definitely can't afford your rate, but please I really need you to…”

“Hey, hey, Em” Kendra interrupted, using her finger to lift Emily’s chin up so she could at least look at her “whatever you say to me doesn’t leave this room, okay? I have your back”

Fifteen minutes later Kendra and Emily found themselves criss-crossing on the couch, speaking in hushed tones, almost waiting for the FBI to bust through Kendra’s door any moment. To be honest, Kendra could understand why Emily was so frustrated with the president, and she couldn’t help but think about all the work her office would have to take care of. With any luck, they would narrowly avoid an impeachment inquiry. God, and Emily was caught in the crossfire.

“Did you get yourself a lawyer yet? You’re right in the middle of this”

“I know. I did. I do, have one I mean, Gordon? He’s an old friend”

“I know him. Expensive. Overrated but, you can do with a lawyer with a solid firm behind him” Kendra said back, making a face at the fact that Emily was friends with that particular sleaze-bag. Not like she could offer her services anyways, at least Emily had someone who would get her Scot free from this mess “I wish I could help you more. You shouldn’t even be worrying about this right now”

“I know” Emily reached for Kendra’s hand, grounding herself here and now, trying to avoid thinking about the shit-show coming down the pipeline “I do too. You’re the best of the best”

“Even more reason to wish I could be your lawyer, you deserve the best”

“And you need some humble pie” Emily said back, chuckling at Kendra’s offended look “thank you, for listening. I couldn’t stay there, watching the president thank me, knowing full well he decided to ignore the writing on the wall. It’s just, everything in this town is too much”

“Hey, you did the right thing. These are the worst circumstances in the world, and you did the best you could” Kendra said making small circles with her thumb on Emily’s knuckles, an action keeping them both in the moment “I don’t want to push you, I know this is emotional enough as it is but, how are you feeling about your mom?”

Emily took a deep shuddering breath. She had been so focused on this Lorraine situation. The death of her mom was so compartmentalized that she convinced herself it wouldn't hurt if she talked about it. She might even be able to think about it without losing her hold on her fragile state of mind. But here and now, sitting on Kendra’s couch, with the feather-light touch on the back of her hand in the same place they’d been so many times, her walls came crumbling down. And like a tidal wave rushing to land, her emotions crashed into the forefront. 

-DS-

Emily dug her face into the pillow as the small sliver of sunlight tried its best to wake her up. This was the first night she had slept properly since election prep began. And that felt like a lifetime ago. Her mouth felt a bit cottony, her head a bit heavy, but she was warm and comfortable and she felt safer than she had in a long time. Forgetting to close the curtains all the way the night before would not take this away from her. 

Something else helped, though. Emily sighed contently when someone behind her groaned at the loss of her warmth and snuggled in closer. Just like every time they looked for comfort in each other's company, Kendra ended up tucked snugly behind her, arm wrapped securely around her waist. 

They never tried to give this a name, they really didn’t need to either. 

Kendra was her rock. When things went great she was there, with a proud smile and a bottle of wine. When they went wrong, as they ought to go when one works for the most powerful man in the world, Kendra was there for her with a pint of ice cream and open arms. And Emily was that for Kendra too. When the going got tough and the counsel’s office got slapped down by the Judicial system left and right, Emily would be ready to reassure Kendra, take-out containers and Kendra’s kryptonite, dumb romcoms that would lighten her spirit. When she won on the back of her sleepless nights and hard work, Emily was there to celebrate with her. 

And they always ended up here. Laying next to each other, warm and safe in that beautiful line between sleep and consciousness. Sleep rumpled and comfortable, Emily holding onto Kendra’s hand, hearing her soft sleepy breathing as it tickled the back of her neck, legs tangled up under the sheets. 

They had it really tough in their jobs. God knows that keeping the administration afloat was the hardest job in the world, but Emily had Kendra, and Kendra had Emily. The world may look bleak, and it was out there waiting for them. The death of her mom kept hitting Emily like an 18-wheeler, compartmentalization or not. What was coming down the line, having to see Tom Kirkman admit to himself and the nation that the election might have mattered more than his personal ethics, than his belief in his oldest most loyal staffer. The possibility of dealing with the FBI, having her integrity questioned. It was a lot. 

But for right now, Kendra was pulling her closer, trying to stop her sleep from running away from them, narrowly avoiding the sliver of sunlight coming through the curtains they forgot to close all the way in their haste to find something good in the world. It may all be falling apart, but they would keep coming to each other’s rescue. 


End file.
